


Cold Nights

by reysadvent



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Gen, M/M, Reader insert/self insert, Slow Burn, slightly canon divergent, there will be smut...
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-04
Updated: 2018-06-07
Packaged: 2019-05-18 05:31:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14846729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reysadvent/pseuds/reysadvent
Summary: Hank and Connor meet up late in the night to go see someone who could help with their case.





	1. Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> So this is a little different for me since I've never written reader inserts or self insert. I decided to create the character of Ellen however but I think she will serve the same kind of purpose as a reader insert. I hope you will be able to put yourselfs in her shoes and relate to her! There will be more chapters to come but this is the first one. Enjoy!

Fall was just beginning. The rain peacefully fell from the dark sky, making soft sounds wherever it hit. The city neon lights reflected in the puddles of water spread out on the pavement. People walked with stale postures under the layers of clothing they wore, vapor came out of their mouths and noses, disappearing in the air. Android model number RK800 watched on as the humans past him. He wore what he always wore: his buttoned up shirt, tie, suit, pants to match, and tailored shoes. He was soaked, holding Lieutenant Andersons umbrella for him. RK800 didn’t get an inch under the umbrella, of course. But it did not bother him. He wasn't as affected by heat or cold as humans were, and at this point he would do about anything to get on Hanks good side. They stood in silence for a while longer. Hank uncomfortably tried to ignore Connor, but it was impossible for him.  
“Put that fucking umbrella down” Connor turned to him confused and hesitant to his order.  
“But Lieutenant, i don't quite understand. You requested me to assist you with it. Do you want to hold it yourself? If not, you might catch a cold, and we certainly don't need that at this point in our investigation” Connor let out a slight laugh to assure a caring tone and not a controlling one.  
“I changed my mind” Hank mumbled over his words.Connor put the umbrella down, and the rain started to fall on Hank as well. The taxi they had been waiting for finally arrived, turning and parking by the sidewalk. They dragged their wet and muddied shoes into it. 

“Hank…” Connor started. He was interrupted when the drunken Lieutenant blurted out the address to the A.I driving the car. Hank turned to him with a tired expression on his face “what?”  
“Well, I haven’t got any information from you about this sudden meeting. I want to know what we’re going to do.”  
“We’re meeting someone. Ellen, Ellen Abbott. She’ll help us with our case.”  
“What will she help us with?”  
“She is a chemist, any blood or other substances we find on a scene, we’ll hand in to her. She has also previously worked at CyberLife so she has knowledge about androids. ” “But I can do that.” Connor questioned him. “Yeah? You mean liking every substance you come across? Not gonna continue. Come on, dont look so deflated! You will still have work to do!” Connor analyzed Hank, his expressions and heart rate. Hank looked out the car window avoiding eye contact with his partner. He is slightly distressed, Connor evaluated. He hesitated asking if there was anything more he should know about this Ellen, maybe this meeting wasn't just profesional? But he asked anyways. “To determine the best approach i need information about her.” “You won’t be talking to her, the cafe we’re going to is banned for androids.” Hank answered him. 

In wait of the woman under the awning of the cafe, Hank started to fumble in his pocket looking for his pack of cigarettes. He put one between his lips and lit it, with his hand he protected the tiny flame and then took a deep breath of smoke. The rain poured down from the ends of the awning and music could be heard in the distance blended with people drunkenly laughing. He held his arm out with the pack in his hand. He looked at Connor, raising his eyebrows, gesturing for him help himself to one. Connor finally catched on and slowly took a cigarette out of the package. He looked at it for one second and studied it. None of its chemicals would harm any machine inside him, so he gave it a go. Hank lit it for him. His lips hugged it all around, leaving a trace of lubricant from his mouth on it. He took a breath off of it and dragged it deep inside him. He held it in, oblivious as to what he should do next. “Kid, you’re supposed to breath it out.” Hank chuckled. Connor who, if he were a human would have turned blue at this point, just coughed under a “Oh.” Hank laughed at him and he smiled back, excited to have won him over for just a moment. Perhaps this will help our partnership Connor thought. But that moment faded and Hank had stopped laughing, mumbling something inaudible over a breath of smoke. There was just silence again. But it was soon broken by a soft voice who had approached them. “Hello Lieutenant”  
“Ellen! Good to see you” Hank threw his cigarette away and hugged her. She laughed, visibly excited to see him. “Oh, this is RK800 or just Connor. He is helping me on my latest case, fucking chief's orders.” Ellen held her hand out to the android. “Nice to meet you...Connor.” She said with a dimple forming in her cheek. Connor felt a shock surge through him. This was a new situation, no human had ever initiated a handshake with him, it made him uncomfortable, he didn't know what to do. He felt an impulsive urge to loosen his tie. He couldn't hold back from it, he tried hard to focus but all thoughts were corrupted and his hands tingled with the need of wrapping them around it. Ellen looked at him in curiosity when his hands traveled to his tie instead of her hand. “Is he having software issues?” Ellen asked Hank. “Forgive me Miss Abbott, it was a while ago since i ran a diagnostic.” But she just laughed and shook his hand. 

Ellen and Hank sat down with their beverages across each other. “Why did you bring the android with you?” “I’m working after this” Hank replied. “So late. But of course you would.”  
“Well, what are you doing after this?”  
“I’m going home, going to lay in my bed and watch meaningless clips on the internet until i can’t keep eyes open anymore” Ellen said. “Fantastic” Hanks words were drowned in sarcasm. Ellen smirked.  
“Look I'm just gonna cut to the chase here and give you the job offering” “Job offering? What are you talking about?” She asked. “Do you want to come work as our dna analyst? Before you say no, let me at least tell you about the case, you are going to love it.” Ellen was quiet for a minute before answering. “Holy shit, here i thought you wanted to meet me because you actually cared about me. Fuck I’m stupid… Hank I haven't been to work in two months, and here you are, you who haven't called or texted me since i left, is asking me if I want to work on a fucking case with you. No. I don't want to work on a fucking case with you.” Her tears were stuck in her throat, and she tried her best to keep them there. “Ellen…” Hank begun, but she interrupted him. “You know why i left. Work was everything for me it still is, i love my work but i can't, with you... And i hate that I feel so fucking guilty because you are my friend and I care for you and it feels like I’m abandoning you, but I couldn't handle your alcoholism then and i can't do it now.” The tears had let go and her nose was filled with snot. She felt embarrassed for snapping. Hank just stared lifelessly down at the table.“How is your?… You know...” Hank asked, also embarrassed for being called out. “It’s better. The medicine is working and i'm slowly getting on my feet again. You know, eating three meals a day, walking two times a week and running some, trying to meet my family and just generally get out of the house.” Hank still felt ashamed, he would never show it, but he was terrible at hiding it and that made Ellen feel even more sorry for him. “Good, thats...good. Look, if you are feeling better, don't you think that it’s time to get back in the field? You won't have to work with me…” She looked at him with scepticism. “Then who will I work with?” Hank raised his gaze up from the table, looking over Ellen's shoulder. She turned around. “The android?” She looked at Connor, out in the cold. He looked, almost serene, content with observing everyone and everything, such a boring life she thought. “He will be able to assist you on crime scenes and he will give you reports. So you will work in your lab and in the field. I've already talked with chief about it, and he would be happy to have you back. We all would.” Ellen pondered for a moment and then sat up from her seat. “I will think about it. If you excuse me, I'd like to go home now. I'm very tired.” She said nothing more and left, leaving Hank with no time to say goodbye. On her way out she stumbled into the android, awkwardly apologizing. But he just looked at her, studied her, up and down, unbothered by her clumsiness. “I assume your meeting with Lieutenant Anderson is over . It was nice meeting you, miss Abbott. Goodnight.” His voice was as calm and pleasant as before, and Ellen just stared at him, unsure what to make of the android, imitating a man. “Bye…” She said, swooping past him.


	2. Core emotion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ellen is home alone, but receives a call from Connor. He comes over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will be an emotional chapter, but this is just like how i cope.

_Flashback_

_“Ellen, you know what? You have your entire life ahead of you, you’re gonna be a great, a great…! Force to this department. You just remind me so much of myself, when i was your age.” Hank chuckled, stumbling over his words, his whole self in auction for anyone who would listen. Ellen felt strangled by his words, maybe his despair would become hers one day. Her heart twisted at the thought of it. “Lieutenant, i would love to hear about your early days in the field, but you should probably go home. You can't be here if you are drunk, I got it covered, just… Go home and sleep it off.” Ellen sighed, letting the burden of taking responsibility for her friend, exit her body through breath. “I can work! What are you talking about? Fuck… This is my case! You can’t… Look I’m sorry, I just, come on! Give me a few minutes, and I’ll be a bit better.” Ellen left him, not without guilt, and went back into the crime scene area._

 

The cold water made her fingers stale and her face tight, it ran down the drain of the bathroom sink and she hoped her memories would float away with it. They didn’t however, they stayed and filled her head with a thickness like tar. She looked at herself, and she swore she hade aged 20 years over the night. She thought emptiness was the most dreadful of feelings, but she had never felt this full in her whole life. Lately she had remembered much and it filled her up, her body ached, desperately reaching for safety. But there was nothing, she had nothing.

After a whole day spent in the bed, Ellen decided to get up. Doing nothing became boring, but doing something would always fuel her thoughts. It was a dilemma of the centuries. But at this moment she would rather think, than abuse her brain with mindless expressions from the internet. She dragged herself out of her bedroom and into her living room. It was dark, only a little light made its way through the blinds. It hit the dining table, where her microscope was placed. She approached it, placing a tender touch on it. She sat down at one of the chairs, with her hand remaining on the scope. “It was i while ago, my friend.” The words escaped her mouth with soft longing. Her sentimentality was interrupted when her phone went off. She gave in to trying to ignore it and went up to see who was calling. She didn't recognize the number but the first three digits of the caller-id revealed that it was from an android. _Could it be?_ She thought. The voice that greeted her was familiar.

“Connor?”

“Yes, hello. Hank told me to call you. You haven't been picking up on his calls so he thought it would work better to be more... discrete.”

Ellen sighed, disappointed but not surprised. “Look, tell him I just cant talk to him right now, I… I don't feel very well.”

“I see, I’ll tell him that but there is another thing. I have a package for you, from Hank however. I’ve been tasked to deliver it to you. May I?”

“What’s in it?” She asked.

“I believe it is blood from an android. I’ve already analysed it’s model number, but there isn’t much else I can do. You need a microscope and other reaction chemicals to reveal more information.” Ellen said nothing, peering over the room to her dining table.

“I’ll take a look.”

“See you soon then.” Connor said, and they hanged up.

She didn’t know if this was a mistake. She just longed for solving something. In her wait of the android she started a search in one of her closets. The box named High School was her subject of interest. Having found what she searched for, she sat down at the microscope again.

 

The doorbell rang across the whole house. “Step inside Connor.” Ellen told him at the doorstep.

“Nice seeing you again, Miss Abbott.” His voice radiated.

“You too Connor. You can set it down there.” She gestured towards the dining table. “I should get started as soon as possible. I’m quite eagre I must say.”

“It seems you’ve already started however. What are you currently using the microscope for?”

“Oh, that’s just an old virus slide from high school. That was when my whole passion for science began.”

“Can i look?” He asked as one corner of his mouth twitched into a smile.

“Be my guest.” Connor bent down, and placed his hand on one of the rods. He rotated it with focus, studying closely. Ellen watched on as he fingered it, fiddling around, trying to find every function possible. His eyebrows raised, mouth slightly open and his tongue carefully caressing his lower lip. With his neck stretched out, his adams apple created a beautiful point that emphasized his soft masculinity. Ellen snapped out of her own study when Connor straightened himself again. He stared into to the distance, deep in thought. It looked like he was searching for something.

“I don’t recognize the virus.” He said, dead toned. “What is it?” He asked.

“Well, it’s Polio. Though you have beyond the human capacity for memory, you androids have limits as well. But you should still be happy, you have capabilities humans could only dream of.” Ellen humbled herself.

“That is something you have that we dont; happiness, grief, sorrow, euphoria… Emotion. That is what separates us. What I have is a task, Ellen, and my goal is to accomplish it. Nothing more.” Connor said, determined. Ellen felt intrigued as to where the conversation would go next.

“Can I ask you a personal question?” She said, as she approached him, sitting down on the side of the dining table.

“Go ahead.” He answered.

“Have you ever been in a situation where you have been close to destruction?” She squinted her eyes slightly, eagre to listen. Connor seemed caught off guard by the question. Looking Ellen in her eyes and then quickly down at his feet.

“Yes. There was one time.” He started. “I was chasing an android on a highway, I got hit and was damaged, and the android escaped. I… I felt… Disappointed, scared. I even swore.” His LED flashed orange a couple of times before returning to a cold blue.

“So, you do feel.”

“But it was just my programming, I ran a diagnostic and it’s normal for androids to be scared, to avoid being damaged or destroyed.” He was defensive.

“Why does it matter? We humans have an exactly similar function; our survival instinct. Connor, you are wrong. The difference between us is not emotional capability, it’s our origin story. What we were made of and by whom. We have no idea, but you do.” Connor just stared at her.

“I guess you’re right.” He said, still quite unsure. She gave him a pat on the shoulder and jumped off the table. She dragged the package to her and started opening it.

Connors voice broke through again. “Have you decided if you want to work again?” “You’re not too bad. I think we could make a good team.” "So, yes?" He asked. "Yes." Connor smiled, and you could even see a little bit of teeth. Ellen knew one thing, she loved her work, it gave her life purpose. She chuckled to herself at the thought of how similar androids and humans really were. 


End file.
